Da Vinci Notes #35 - Things Do Not Change, We Change

 

ON PAINTING.

 

If the eye, when [out of doors] in the luminous atmosphere, sees a

place in shadow, this will look very much darker than it really is.

This happens only because the eye when out in the air contracts the

pupil in proportion as the atmosphere reflected in it is more

luminous. And the more the pupil contracts, the less luminous do the

objects appear that it sees.

 

But as soon as the eye enters into a shady place the darkness of the

shadow suddenly seems to diminish. This occurs because the greater

the darkness into which the pupil goes the more its size increases,

and this increase makes the darkness seem less.